Melting hearts
by Fraxus-Thunder
Summary: Even when you think you have your life mapped out, things happen that shape your destiny in ways you might never have imagined. One night, Gray got swept in his own needs, seeing how his life turned upside down in a matter of seconds.
1. My first sexual experience LEMON

Hi!

That's a gratsu story, Gray will be the seme and Natsu the uke one.

But first I have to warn you that English is not my first language so I apologize in advance for any grammar or lexical mistake you could find.

Enjoy, have fun and I hope you like it!

* * *

><p>"C'mon ice freak! See you sluggish today!"<p>

"Sluggish? What the... Just warming up, you idiot!"

"What're you waiting for then?"

In a peaceful spring evening, two Fairy Tail mages were trying to settle the unsolved mystery about who was the strongest.

"UAAAAAA What the heck was that!?"

"hahahahaha well, well… The almighty Salamander is scared stiff"

"Scared stiff?" He bursted in laugh "Not even in a million thousand years, stripper!"

"Stop playing with me and show me what you have!" Gray became serious and adopted a defensive stance waiting Natsu's attack.

"Eat this!"

He stayed still in the same battle position for a minute, in silence and with a strange silly face until Gray told him:

"Huh? See? You're scared stiff!"

"Noooooo! you're nothing but a pain in the ass! It's just that... I'm starving" He scratched his neck nervously as he put one of his childish smiles.

"Whaaat!?"

"I'll crush you later! C'mon Happy"

"Aye sir!"

He sprinted away from his rival, without paying him any more attention and ignoring him completely until suddenly something crossed his path:

"OIIIIIIII Watch out!"

His warning came too late and a poor blonde girl fell to the floor touching his right shoulder with a cry of pain.

"Be more careful! Why are you in such a hurry?" When she looked at the man who had crashed with her, she became flushed helplessly. He extended his hand to help her standing up with a huge smile and an innocent look that made her completely forget the blow he had just received.

"You okay? I'm starving and wanted to get as soon as possible, y'know?"

"U-uh yeah, yeah ... Thank you" She accepted his hand and grabbed it getting up from the grass. Both stared at each other briefly until Natsu said goodbye to her.

"Well, bye! and be more careful okay? You'll get yourself killed, girl"

"What!? I'll what!? ... "

The pink haired boy was about to start running again, but she grabbed his vest stopping him.

"Hey! Wait! ... Do you have any idea where Fairy Tail could be? "

He started laughing and proudly showed his red guild mark located just below his right shoulder.

"Of course I do! I'm the strongest mage of Fairy Tail!"

"Huh?"

"SALAMANDER... And this is the Mighty Cat Happy!" He said putting his hands on his waist.

"Really!? Salamander? "

"Are you a mage?"

"Yes! My name is Lucy"

"Lucyyyyy?" He stared at her face blatantly and thoughtful.

"W-what is it?" She stepped back a few steps.

"What a weird name, isn't it Happy? Lucyyyyy Lucy ... "He scratched his head, thinking about different intonations that he could do with that name.

"Aye! Luuuuuuucy, Luuuuuuucy" Happy was fluttering above her.

"Your cat... is speaking! AAAAAH"

Both were singing his name in different ways until she grew tired of their show.

"Enough, already!"

"Come Luuuuuucy, follow me!"

The three ran through the streets of Magnolia dodging people until they reached the guild. The cheerful Natsu opened the door as usual, embedding it against the wall:

"We're baaaaaack! GRAAAAAAAAAAAAMPS! "

"DON'T SHOUT AT ME, IDIOT"

"This is... eeeeh... How was it? Nu... Muly ... ... "

"Lucy, is Lucy!"

"Lucy! Just what I said!"

Since that moment, one of the strongest and most united teams of Fairy Tail was born. Master Makarov grouped Erza, Natsu, Gray, Lucy and Happy, but there were some who disagree with the idea:

"You shitting me, right!? I'll not team up with that flame brain"

"Nor I with that pervy popsicle"

They held their gazes, shooting daggers at each other, until Erza pulled them off by tweaking roughly their ears.

"You two will do EXACTLY what the master says, and if you're thinking of disobeying him… I myself will enforce worst punishment imaginable on you Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, Erza!"

"Don't ya see how much we love each other? Right, Gray? "

Both put their arms over each other's shoulders in a friendly way.

"Good boys... They'll behave, master… I promise"

"For our own sake, Erza ... Get out of here, you idiots!"

Lucy and Erza walked cheerfully and calmly to where they should do their job. The day was nice and the job was well paid despite appeared to be simple.

"And what's the job about?"

"We have to collect some seeds on Mount Hakobe"

"Great! Also even with all this snow, the day is wonderful"

"Hey ... Where are those two?"

"I hope they're behaving… let's check"

The two "friends" were having one of their silly fights while waiting for their teammates to show up.

"That's not fair, bastard!"

"What do you mean? Did I made you a boo boo? "

"You're about to feel my mighty strength upon you!" The dragonslayer face darkened and he clenched his fists in anger. The ice mage was prepared for the attack and covered his face with his arm. With a cry, Natsu began to throw snow at him at full speed while Gray remained still on site laughing at him.

"Don't clown around with me ... You're too slacker and... AAAAAAH..."

"Hahahahahahaha What do you think of that one? You liked it?"

Natsu turned the last snowball into a fire one that caught the unsuspecting ice mage unaware.

"Now I'll crush you with ... Oh Gray! You alright my dear friend?"

Natsu stopped the game when his nostrils caught the scent of Erza approaching like a thunderbolt to their position, he offered his hand to Gray to help him getting up and smiled at her. She gave them a murderous look to remind them that everything must be in order and went back again with Lucy.

"Fiuuuu, that was close"

"It would have been fun if she had caught you hihihihi"

"Oi, Happy! Which side are you on?"

"Mmmmmm, monstrous Erza or... you" He scratched his head thoughtfully.

"Damn stingy cat..."

They walked together through the snowy mountain until they arrived to the huge cave where the seeds were supposed to be. The road forked at the entrance and Erza decided to make two groups.

"There are giants of the mountains around here, stay alert. Lucy and I are going to the right, you two, go to the left "

They obeyed her command and followed her instructions, searching for the seeds until Gray heard the voice of the dragonslayer:

"Hey ... look at me Gray!"

The ice mage turned sighing at him, knowing he would find him doing any of his nonsense.

"Ok Natsu... What have you d..." He bursted into laugh when he saw Natsu imitating one of Makarov's faces, with two stalactites as his mustache and his hair full of snow.

"Idiots!... WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY ..."

His imitation ceased abruptly when he meet face to face with one of the ice giants Erza spoke them about. Natsu looked at him, amazed by its size, while the ice mage attacked him without success. He watched the fight for a while and then began to laugh when the beast gave Gray a blow on the right cheek leaving him dazed and bleeding.

"Hey you ... Leave it to me, it's made of ice, you're a useless, why have you come for?"

"Useless? Because it's made of ice, I'm better to defeat it than you. Watch n' learn! ICE MAKE… LANCE!"

He began to make ice spears that pierced the giant's body, sticking into it. It's size was increasing more and more as the fiercely beast roared as if it were laughing at them.

"Come again? What you said I was supposed to do? Sitting here while you give superpowers to this thing? Let the best do it for you! "

With a battle cry he channeled fire in his mouth and let out his fire dragon's roar, melting the giant without much trouble.

"Tsk" Gray turned his head very pissed off, but congratulated him anyway "Not bad..."

Both laughed and Natsu stared at the face of his friend, who returned him the look confused.

"Like my face, asshole?" He said with a grin.

"W-what're you saying pervert?! I-is that you're bleeding. Let me help you "

He took a piece of clean cloth from his bag and took it slowly to the Gray's face, who was incomprehensibly wishing for him to touch him with rapid breathing. Natsu blushed slightly without realizing it and his body reacted strangely to that contact. His pulse was racing while the fabric stroked his friend's face, and a slight tingling appeared in his stomach, but the dragonslayer didn't care much and continued quietly removing his blood.

The ice mage laid his eyes on his parted lips and swallowed hard as his cheeks slightly stained with red. _"What the hell is this weird feeling?"_ After his brain awake, he pushed his hand away and stood up.

"Leave me, I'm not a child, I can do it myself"

"Eeeeh? Well, okay, it was being disgusting to touch you anyway ... Dress perveeeeeeeert! "

"B-but when did I...!? SHIT!"

"Guuuuuuuuuuuuys how many you got?"

"Natsuuuuuuuuuuuu"

"Hello Happy! How many what?" He said smiling.

"The seeds idiot! Pass them to Erza" Gray explained to him.

"Hmmm? Don't have 'em" He began to search his pockets unsuccessfully.

"I-... give 'em to you to keep them" Gray went into panic mode by thinking about the consequences that would have for them to lose the seeds.

"Huh?"

Gray's brought his hand to his hair and slowly ran his fingers back and forth through it in a gesture of despair while Erza hit Natsu on his back.

"Pray for them to appear… Slackers!"

"Wait, wait... See? Told ya I have 'em! hahahahahaha" He giggled as the seeds appeared in his vest pocket. Gray sighed with relief.

The way back was quiet and when they arrived at the guild, Erza went to report the master and to give him the seeds so they can get the reward and Natsu disrupted the main hall as usual.

"And the popsicle ran like a chicken when the ice dwarf gave him a kick in the crotch hahahahahahahahaha"

"WH...!? Don't make up the truth, you idiot!" He punched him in the head and then tried to deny the story "In the first place it wasn't a dwarf, it was a fucking huge giant! and it didn't kicked me in the balls, he gave me a punch in the face... See this? You cured me, clown!"

"Aww Natsu has cured your boo boo, Gray? That's so tender"

"Loke! Shut the fuck up or I'll kill you!"

"How cute... you're blushing Gray!"

"I'm not! Shut your fucking mouth already, Four Eyes!"

Another spartan battle began while Mirajane deftly dodged various objects that were flying around her as she collected mugs and glasses of the tables with her eternal smile.

The scuffle finally ended and many mages retreated to their homes to rest, only a few stayed a while longer to let in the night. Gray was one of them, he was with his head resting on a table, thinking about what had happened when Natsu touched his face in that sweet way, but someone sat beside him.

"What's wrong? You seem so downcast. I was hoping to make you feel better, let's see if some beauty can cheer you up"

"No, thanks Loki"

"Hmm? Come on, tell me what's wrong, I can distinguish the look of unrequited love in you"

"WHAT?"

"C'mon, Gray you cannot fool me about this"

"I don't ... I'm not ... that ... ee" _"Love? Really, what's up with this guy? _"

"Well, kid yourself what you want, but I can even tell you who... HE is"

"I'm not in love with that asshole!" _"Shit ... What did I just say?"_

"Sure, sure ... whatever you say... goodnight, Gray" He was up to leave but the puzzled ice mage stopped him.

"Wait Loke ..." He thought maybe it was good to vent with someone who seemed to know his situation, "let's go somewhere calm to talk"

"Sure, my place is close"

Loki's house was very comfortable and tidy. When Gray came in, he noted the large number of mirrors placed in all the rooms.

"Do you like looking at yourself all the time, uh?"

"Oh, just when I fuck"

"Poor women ... you're a pervert"

"Mmm women don't like it much, men are more receptive to it"

"Huh?"

"What?"

"E-eeeeh, no, no-nothing at all"

"Didn't you know that I want good male's bodies too?"

He walked towards him with a twinkle in his eyes that made recoil Gray.

"N-nope, not i-idea"

He cornered him between his body and the wall and put his face almost touching Gray's.

"Nervous?" He looked at his crotch and noticed it was slightly raised, "Oh no, did I turned you on?" He said in a smooth way.

"L-let me go, you pervert!"

"Fuck, Gray, you're a sweetie. Let me show you some things so you can impress your beloved dragon"

Gray stopped struggling and looked at him stunning.

"What did you just say? I don't... "

"Sure you're captivated by his naïve expression, that beautiful smile and that way of being so childish. Do not deny it ... Quit bluffing, you're awful at it, Gray" He put his lips on the ice mage's neck and stroke him.

Finally he could react and he jerked him away.

"I don't like men, you idiot! and less that child! Fuck, not even you!"

"Oh? Really? Then forgive me Gray, didn't pretending to bother you with all this babbling. Just wanted to make you feel better and ... "

"Loke, if you touch me again, I'll kill you"

Gray left his home very angry, but could not tell if the anger was because of him or Loki himself. He did not want to feel anything for that pink haired idiot, but his body seemed to be thinking otherwise and it was playing with him lately: whenever he brushed him by accident or looked at him with that smile so sincere. He tried to not be affected by him, but from that day ... He admitted that Natsu got him nervous.

He spun on his bed restless, unable to sleep. His hand took his half erect dick and played with it... That Loki idiot had awakened it and couldn't relaxed since then. He wanted to touch it to relieve all the tension he was having, but as he stroked it through his pants he thought in Loke and his handsome face, his muscled body and that lecherous look he gave him before, but above all... the so openly way he flirted with him. "Fuck it!"

He got up and went back to the mysterious blonde magician's place. His fist grazed the door but pulled back at the last second. As he turned to go back home, he heard as the door behind him opened and Loke greeted him surprised, with garbage bags in hand.

"Oh! Hi Gray!... Did you forget something? "

The ice mage pushed him inside and slammed the door. He grabbed his neck with both arms and kissed him roughly. Loke could sense the raven's inexperience instantly and grabbed his waist to flip his back, slamming him hard against the door.

"Bastard ... What have you done to me?"

"Looks like I blatantly got you horny. What a body you have, you shouldn't get naked in front of everyone, you're irresistible"

"Shut up"

He trapped him in a kiss again, but this time Loke took the initiative by showing him how he should kiss to someone. Gray moaned at the invasion of that tongue that seemed to know exactly where to lick to make him lose what little control he had left at that moment, and let him sit him on his couch. The blond mage knelt on the floor between his legs and touched his erection through the pants with his thumb.

"Shit..."

"You like how I play, Gray?"

He replied with a groan as seeing how he unbuttoned slowly his pants.

"By the way ... How old are you? Is frowned upon to do this kind of things with kids, y'know? "

"D-do I still look like a kid t-to y-you?"

At that time his erection was freed from his pants and Loke licked his lips while saying.

"Not… really"

He grabbed his balls with one hand while the other spread his legs more to gain full access. He licked the tip of his cock at a glacial pace, almost without touching it and Gray threw his head back when pleasure and need mixed invading all his senses. His exposed muscular chest was being stroke as the expert tongue tortured his swollen erection.

"Fuck AAAH do something!"

"Quiet, honey ... You will enjoy this more if you're not in such a hurry"

"B-but this is… I'm… Ngh... And d-don't... Ngh... Don't call me honey"

"Yeah, I know, you're about to cum, but I will not let that happen so soon... you just relax"

His tongue was busy again, this time by licking and eating his balls while Gray screamed with pleasure and dug his nails into the couch. He could not believe how good that felt, any jerk off he would have done in the past could not be compared with what Loke was giving him. He felt as if he would explode at any moment, but for reasons beyond his knowledge, he did not do it yet.

"You taste so fucking good"

"S-shut up already!"

"Don't want me to say naughty things while I suck your cock, Gray?"

He wanted to tell him no, but right then he stuffed his mouth with Gray's dick until his balls nearly touched his chin. He pulled back completely and returned to lick the tip, pressing the cock's hole with his tongue.

"Loke-but w-what are you doing!"

"I'm giving you pleasure Gray, stop fight back against it"

His panting increased as well as his pulse, he was feeling so damn good that when he felt his semen prepared to leave he said a frustrated "Tsk", getting furious with his own body for not be able to hold it any longer. Loke noticed the gesture of despair of his friend, so he lowered his pace and began to suck it up and down slowly, savouring all the length with his tongue. When Gray grabbed roughly his hair ready to cum, the blond mage pulled his dick out of his mouth with a smile.

"What the fuck are you doing!?"

"I said I was going to make you enjoy it... I don't want you to cum when I'm not even getting started yet"

He did not want to argue with him, he just wanted to put back his painful erection in his mouth again, so he obeyed and waited for his next move.

"Have you ever touched a dick other than yours?"

"E-eh ... no," he said sheepishly.

"Do you want to? Mine isn't as scary as yours"

Gray hesitated a moment... This morning he did not even considered he could liked men and now he was about to touch an intimate part that was not his own and, worst of all, he was wishing for it.

He put his hand slowly in Loke's crotch and rubbed it slowly through the fabric of his pants. The blonde was smiling and squeezed his hand, rubbing it against him harder.

"That's better"

He flushed and unzipped his pants pulling them down. Loke let him watch at his hardness through their tight pants for a moment. He stroked it as the blond had taught him and heard a sweet moan as an answer that encouraged him to go further. Slowly, as if he were afraid, he put his fingers under the fabric and touched the tip, almost pulling back when he felt a softness that he was unfamiliar with. He continued pulling down his shorts, and when the length was fully exposed, Gray ran his fingertips through it. Curiosity overcame him and he grabbed his friend's dick firmly, pumping it up and down at a slow pace. Loke saw the lust in his eyes and decided to play a bit with him, so he pulled his hand away roughly and said:

"Stop it! You're not allowed to go that far, just touch it"

"What? but ... "

"You said you don't like men ... So I'll make you a favor" He lay down on the couch next to him and opened his bended legs, stroking them "I'll let you see how I pleasure myself and then you'll tell me if you still don't like men"

"What? I think that ... "

"Shut up and watch how to drive a man crazy, Gray. And don't dare to even touch me or I'll have to tie your hands "

He masturbated strongly but briefly, then he spread further his flexing legs, raising his firm ass. He sucked his middle finger, licking it eagerly as his eyes were still fixed on the ice mage. The finger hovered at his entrance stroking and squeezing it, letting the fingertip inside with a sensual moan, but when he saw Gray shifting uncomfortably in his seat, focusing lustfully his eyes on his hole, he took out the fingertip and put it in again repeatedly until it sank deeper into the hole, making Gray to pant violently.

"It's so fucking tight mmmm"

He put his finger in his mouth again along with the index one, wetting them with saliva so he could refocus them comfortably in his tiny ass. He put his hips up slightly so he could sticked them inside as much as possible through the bunch of muscles. When his fingers won the battle for dominance of the warm hole, he began to move them quickly as his other hand rubbed his swollen hard.

Gray was very bad and about to cum just by looking at him. He instinctively grabbed the blond's ankles tightly and got closer to the hole that he was watching so anxiously as he grabbed his own cock which was already throbbing precum that ran down lubricating it. Loke kicked and threatened him:

"You have no right to do that Fullbaster ... Not even a ghost of a chance"

He returned to lean back scared of what he nearly did and looked impatiently as Loke continued the erotic show.

Loke was enjoying like crazy by seeing how horny he was getting the cocky ice mage. He put a third finger without first lubricating it and shouted for the pleasure of his tight hole. He kept his pumping speed on his dick as his fingers fucked his ass roughly.

Gray was breathing so fast that he felt as his heart was about to stop at any time, specially when he watched for the first time in his life, how a man cum in front of him, moaning and screaming in pleasure. He felt his member dripping the creamy liquid faster and stared eagerly at him, too shocked to even say a word.

"Well ... What do you think? Do you like men or what? By the way your cock is throbbing I think I know the answer"

"Stop shitting me, idiot ... You knew the answer already before that f-fucking scene you made"

"Hahaha I love how naïve you can be, that shame makes me want you even more... so fucking cute"

He pushed him on the couch and went back to focus on him. He noted his erection and he could not help saying.

"It's so swollen I can hardly believe you didn't cum only by watching me"

"Could you stop talking for once and use your mouth for something else?!" He covered his mouth when he realized the order he had just given him... He was definitely

quite excited and impatient.

"Oh? You're so fucking eager... "

He swallowed his cock, sucking, biting, licking it sharply. Gray could not help it, he tried to retain his semen because the pleasure was too good to let it finished but no matter how hard he tried it, he could not hold it any longer, and as he notice how he hates dick crossed Loke's troath, he screamed and cum into his mouth spilling the abundant creamy liquid in it. He looked very flushed at his own crotch, wishing to see the scene with his own eyes, his cock still inside the blond's mouth as he was trying to swallow all the cum that overflows out of the corner of his mouth.

He pulled it out and licked it.

"Wow, I think it's the first time that it overflows like that out of my mouth ... How long since you don't jerk off?"

Gray did not answer and remained dazed on the couch. He did not understand what had happened in that last hour of his life and unavoidably, he put his hands to his face and let the tears rolled down his eyes. Loke smiled and put his hand on his shoulder affectionately.

"Shit, don't touch me. I'm pathetic!"

"Pathetic? Baby... You're not the only one who reacts that way. The fault is mine by the way. I... maybe I went too far. Like you said before, this morning you didn't even know that you might like this"

"It's your fault then..."

"Hahahaha. Easy Gray, you're not doing anything embarrassing "

She hugged him affectionately and let him cry in his lap for a while as he stroked his hair.

"I-I have to go..."

"Of course, go to rest" He kissed him on the forehead and stood up to lead him to the door.

When Gray was about to leave, he turned and said.

"I know there's no need to say this but ... don't tell anyone about..."

"Gray, please... Really?"

"Ok, ok ... good n-night... Loke... Hey, by the way... I'll throw the trash for you"

The blond wizard nodded laughing and watched him with a sigh as he walked away.

"You don't know how lucky you are... Natsu "


	2. The tournament begins

The sun cast its rays mercilessly through the window and he finally opened his eyes, he stretched his muscles and when he tri to stand up, a terrible headache hit him hard in the brain.

"Shit, I'll never drink again"

He put one foot down and then the other, he postured on his hands to try to stand up and hardly made it to the bathroom. When he lowered his pants he suddenly remembered where he had been last night.

"Damn ... Had it been real?"

He had so much alcohol in his veins that he could not even discern reality from illusion, and he remained standing there a few minutes trying to sort his head out, separating into different columns which things were product of his imagination and which ones he believed were not when someone interrupted him.

"OIIIIII GRAAAAAY WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Great... the best remedy for a hangover... that idiot's shouts"

He left the bathroom and walked to the door with as much as dignity as he could muster and opened it, letting the energetic dragonslayer to enter like a thunderbolt.

"Did you just wake up? Why're you so fucking lazy?"

"Will you stop yelling, retard?"

"I'm not yelling! ... Oops, sorry... What's wrong?"

"Nothing... I drank so much last night and I'm not feeling well now"

Natsu stared at him with his smile and Gray could not help but remember the conversation he believed to have had with Loke yesterday... _"I just couldn't have confessed that I'm in love with him..."_

"Hey... you're very weird today" he said as he watched his face closely.

"Leave me alone"

"Need help with something? You look absentminded"

"I'm fine, Natsu!" _"Shit, my head's gonna explode"_ "get out of my house..." He started to push him out the door but Natsu reminded him something important.

"Hey, hey... easy idiot... I'll leave now, just...!"

"Don't talk loudly"

"Okay..." he said almost whispering "Just remember that we're gonna train for the tournament today. You haven't forgotten it, have ya?... We planned to meet after lunch, same place. You don't need to freak out, annoying popsicle!

_"Huh? Shit ... I forgot "_ " Yes, yes, of course I remember it"

"Don't shove me!"

"Don't shout!"

He closed the door, relieved that he didn't have to face Natsu for a while. He was confused and didn't know what to do to refocus his head again, nor what he should do to find out if the visions he was having were true or not. He saw Loke in his legs licking his hard cock, masturbating himself as he watched the blond mage eagerly, his fingers inside his ass moving fast, his tongue inside his mouth... he got hard with those images that passed through his subconscious wildly, and shaking his head angrily he dressed quickly so he could leave his home as soon as possible to take some fresh air.

He walked slowly and looking at his his feet, trying to keep his mind blank.

"Good afternoon... Gray"

_"What? That's the last person I need to see" _"E-eh... hello Loke"

"You finally wake up?"

"The hell do you care?" he kicked a piece of paper and walked on.

"Okay, okay...I don't want to bother you anymore. See you!" With a smile Loke walked in the opposite direction, but Gray stopped and turned to look at him as he was getting away from him.

_"He has not mentioned anything about last night... thank goodness"_

His mood was changing as he was slowly discovering that all had been a dream and he walked vigorously until he reached the guild. He opened the door and walked to the table where he used to sit normally.

"Can you tell me what the hell are you doing?"

"Huh?"

"Have you seen your face? It looks like you've been beaten to death! How're you gonna train in that awful condition?"

"Don't... don't shout... Please Erza" he put his hand in his head while another migraine attacked him harshly.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY DON'T SHOUT, PLEASE ERZA?! I'LL SHOUT IF I WANT TO"

He gave him one of his blows into the head, intensifying the pain that he already had and left him resting his head on the table.

"Don't you dare to go out before a training session, Gray... unless you wanna look like a loser in the tournament"

Erza left him there and Gray raised his hands to the painful area until he felt how someone was stroking his hair in a lovingly way.

"You shouldn't drink that much at your age, you're still young"

He looked up and his eyes got fixed on Loke's.

"Don't pet me, I'm not a cat"

"Hm... Here, this is yours"

He left in his legs a Gray's jersey and without another word he went to the bar to talk to Mirajane.

"W-What? How...? "

He looked at him with his head still on the table as his breath quickened and more images of the alleged night together returned again to resume in an infinite loop. After thinking it, he decided to remove the doubt once and for all by asking covertly at the only one who could know the truth.

"Hey, Loke"

The blond wizard went to his side and savvy down close to him.

"Yes?"

"Eeeh ... Where did you find it?... The jersey I mean"

He looked in all directions before answering trying to not be heard by anyone.

"You left it in my place last night"

He opened his eyes wide and sat up in his seat.

"Uh... okay, thanks for bringing it back"

"Are you... okay, Gray?"

"My head hurts, It seems that I drank too much"

"Take care then. I have a job to do. See you, Gray!"

Gray nodded and let him go... It had not been a dream, all the scenes his head was showing him were real… His first sexual experience had been with Loke, a man for whom he seems to feel nothing for.

At the appointed hour and more focused, he met with his teammates in front of the bakery where they used to meet. He greeted them with a dry hand movement and leaned his back against the wall of the establishment with his hands in his pockets waiting for Erza to finish buying his strawberry cupcakes.

Three hours later they arrived at their training site, a wooded area of difficult access and a huge cliff at the end of the road.

"Try not to burn this place too, Natsu ... or we will run out of places where we can train in" Erza said as she walked away to practice his techniques alone.

Gray started to leave too, but Natsu stopped him by grabbing his wrist.

"Hey Gray ... Why not train together?"

"Get lost"

"C'mon Happy, Gray is afraid of getting beat up again"

"What did you just say!?" They faced each other locked in a staring contest until Natsu began to laugh.

"Follow me ice princess!"

"Come here, don't flee, coward!"

Lucy put her hands on her head in a gesture of despair and began to prepare her own training day along with Happy, who was unwilling to be present in another of their fights.

"Where is that idiot?"

Gray looked carefully around everywhere, trying to find the dragonslayer who had disappeared from sight after crossing a thick grove. He sharpened his hearing to the fullest and walked slowly watching every tree and every bush, but his companion was silent as death when he wanted to, and unfortunately it happened very rarely.

"Tsk... Get out, don't be a coward!"

With a war cry Natsu lunged at him from the top of a huge pine. The impact had been so hard that he laid on the ground dazed and with a new headache.

"Shit... chicken cheater... wait for me to recover"

"Hahahahahaha what a delicate ice princess!" he sat on the floor crossing his legs and watching him.

"What the hell are you looking at...?"

"The way you agonize"

"Do you know what that word means?"

"Mmmm think so" Natsu did not lose his smile.

"Oh, you shocked me"

Gray sat also on his knees in front of him and his eyes fixed once more. The dragonslayer stopped grinning by losing into those dark blue eyes until a voice broke his trance:

"OIIIII BOYS Where are you?"

Gray stood up and Natsu remained in the same position but he turned to look at Lucy.

"Lucy what's wrong?" The ice mage asked.

"You have to see this"

Lucy led them to a deep place in the forest, she got lost trying to find a river in which she could drink water and found something that surprised her.

"What the hell is that?"

"An egg?" Replied Natsu like if she were silly.

"You're so smart, Natsu" Happy said sarcastically to him.

"I know that! But ... What animal can lay an egg like this?"

"A huge one"

Gray hit Natsu commanding him to be quiet and said:

"This forest area is very deep... but I can't think of any animal that lives here and that could have this size and... WHAT ARE YOU DOING... YOU IDI… ot?"

Natsu's curiosity knew no bounds and while Gray and Lucy talked, he decided to touch the egg. When he rested his hand on the shell, it brightened intensely giving him a powerful electric shock. With a cry of surprise more than of pain, he backed up while his two companions gaped wide.

"You can't... never... be quiet" The ice mage didn't move his eyes from the egg.

"Hahaha it just tickled a bit, I'm fine"

"I don't give a shit if you're fine! What really worries me is how antsy you can be! You can't never be quiet… ever!"

"It wouldn't be problem, it will only be a cute puppy... you're... so... Oh, what's wrong?"

Natsu noticed their terror glances as they watched something behind him. He turned slowly and ran towards them while the huge beast roared furiously.

"But how could something that big appear so quietly?!" Lucy hid behind a tree and let the strange animal to her teammates.

Despite its large size was quite agile and it charged with a single stride to where they were. The trembling of the ground made them stagger, but fortunately they didn't lose his balance and took advantage of the situation to counter-attack. Natsu channeled fire in his fist as Gray did the same with ice. Both hit in the same spot, just behind the head of the beast, making it fell with a guttural grunt.

"HA, This will teach you not to scare my friends!"

"You wasn't scared, huh?" Gray said crossing his arms and grinning.

"Hahahaha Me? The mighty Salamander is afraid of nothing!"

"And why have you run like a scary girl!?"

"To protect you, droopy eyes!"

"Eeeeh guys..." Lucy caught their attention while the animal was standing up.

"Hey, can't you see we're busy? GET LOST!" Flames surrounded his body and lunged at the beast, giving him a strong headbutt in the neck, but the beast could hit him back with a powerful blow, pushing him several yards just before falling to the ground again, this time unconscious.

"NATSUUU" Lucy ran to where her body's friend had landed and sighed relief when she saw that he had only have a blow in the ribs.

"Motherfucker ...ouch..." his hand was on his hurted side, bleeding heavily.

"Can you walk?" She asked her friend.

"Sure! I'm not some...! OUCH"

"Ok... you can't"

"I CAN!"

"Don't be stubborn! Happy will fly you"

He accepted unwillingly but when the exceed took him in the air, the pain became more intense. He screamed and Happy dropped him down quickly.

"It looks like it hurts him more when he stretch the body. You must have a broken rib" Gray said.

"Well, then you have to carry him, Gray"

"WHAT?" They shouted in unison.

Gray blushed and looked away and Natsu yelled at Lucy that he wasn't a weak guy to be carried. In that precisely moment, Erza appeared.

"I have been loo... king... What happened here? Can I leave you alone?" He got shocked by looking at the huge body of the beast.

"Haha, guess what..." Lucy said, laughing nervously.

"Where did this… lizard come from?"

"Lizard? It seems more like a dinosaur to me" Natsu said poking the animal with a stick.

"Aye!"

"You're going to wake it up... be quiet and get out of here before you fuck it up again! Flame brain!"

"Erza, Natsu can't walk. Would you carry him? Gray didn't want to"

"Of course" he said with a sadistic smile "with pleasure"

"NO NOOOO, Gray! Come here my dear friend!"

"Huh? No way! Leave me!"

The ice mage lost the fight and he finally carried the dragonslayer in his arms. Despite his muscular body, he was surprisingly light and it wasn't being hard for Gray to walk with his weight added. He grabbed his neck with one arm but Gray stopped him as his heart raced.

"Don't grab me... Who is the pervert now!?"

"I'm keeping from falling down!... don't get your hopes up" he said blushing slightly and turning the head away.

"How cute you are" Erza said mocking by looking at the couple.

"Shut it, Erza!"

"They even answer at the same time" Lucy said, taking part in the conversation.

"I asked you to carry him, not to show him your love"

Just when they arrived at their makeshift camp, Gray dropped Natsu to the ground, he seemed not to be playing and he manifested an anger he just had when something bothered him enough. He left without saying a word and got into the forest.

His heart kept beating at full speed and he was trying to let loose the anger that ran inside of him by clenching his fist with strenght. It had been hard for him to carry the dragonslayer, and although he could not accept his feelings towards his pink haired friend, he had to admit that what he had done had affected him.

He sat on a rock in the edge of the cliff watching how the sun disappeared over the horizon and while he was deepening into his thoughts someone sat beside him. He made a gesture of disappointment without looking at that person and allowed its presence without saying a word.

Natsu sat near him, he could feel Gray's aroma permeating his nostrils and also his calm and relaxed breathing. Both enjoyed a peaceful moment in silence watching the beautiful stained orange landscape that was in front of them.

"Gray ..."

"Hm?"

"I'm sorry"

He turned to face him for the first time when he heard him apologizing.

"What?"

"You have not been comfortable while you were carrying me in your arms ... I know you don't like me and..."

"Of course I don't like you! You're annoying!"

"Hm..."

Silence reigned again for a few minutes and Gray used it to try to calm down. Even he didn't know why he was yelling and saying those things, but at the time, it was the only thing that came out from within his messy head. He looked at Natsu when he got a little closer to him, he stared at him with a fix gaze, mesmerizing by his big smile, and his heart stopped when he heard him say:

"I like you Gray, you're a good friend" He got up and left, leaving Gray very groggy in the rock.

Tears began softly rolling down his face and he felt a sharp pain in his chest, he took a deep breath and tried to calm down regaining his composure, but it was impossible for him to forget his words, his smile, he could only see his big bright eyes speaking sincerely to him.

"Damn you... What are you doing to me?"

When he reached the camp everyone was asleep. He grabbed his bag and a set up few yards away, he lay in his bedroll and let sleep overcame him.

The next morning he woke up the last when Erza kicked his ribs. He scolded him for not waking up by himself and offered him something to breakfast.

"Where is Natsu?"

"He's practicing what he calls… "My Super devastating attack". He hasn't allowed us to go with him, he wants to be alone"

"Tsk" he smiled inwardly and decided to spy on what he was doing "I'm also leaving to practice my "apocalyptic attack" " he said as he said goodbye with a wave of hand.

The ice mage was looking for him almost an hour until he finally found him on a river's shore, quiet and with his relaxed arms facing forward. It seemed he was doing nothing, but suddenly his body lit up with orange bright and the flames engulfed him. He remained motionless for nearly a minute and suddenly, he disappeared from his view in less than a second. Gray looked around trying to find him and when he stood up to have a better viewing angle, something fell at his feet firmly. Before he could react, he received a hard blow and stepped back a few steps touching his stomach while he was trying to see who had attacked him. Gray was startled when he saw Natsu looking at him with clenched fists and a serious face.

"I said I don't want anyone to follow me"

"You already know... I never do... what you say"

"Why were you spying me?"

"I wasn't spying you!"

"Why are you here then?"

Gray looked surprised at the question and didn't know what to answer, he could not even answered himself, so he kept quiet and waited for Natsu to make his next move.

"You say you don't like me... But you can't stop following me around!"

The ice mage was stunned, he had only seen Natsu that angry when someone hurt his friends or when an enemy said something he did not like, but never ever with people who he loved and wanted at his side.

"Leave me alone if you hate me!" He ran out of Gray's sight in a matter of seconds.

The dragonslayer ran with rage, his friend's attitude lately made him nervous. Sometimes he seemed sweet to him and others he was a completely bastard. As they had been growing up, their relationship had been improving and they were not constantly engaged in disputes, they saw it more like a game despite the insults and the childish attitude. Natsu was very fond of Gray, he was one of his friends and Natsu always did whatever it was in his power to protected them, but with the ice mage he had a different relationship. The joy he felt when he saw him or when they fought could not be compared with anyone else's and that's why he was specially annoy these last days. What his friend had said in the rock had hurt him a lot, hearing him yell that he hated him was very painful for him, and he wasn't going to forgive it so easily.

Gray managed to stand up, the blow he had received was painful and it had a rage added in it that the ice mage could discern without difficulty. His attacks were always in control despite they always compete to see who was the best, but that anger and that fire aura that Natsu had a few moments ago were never present in any of his duels before. He sighed and started to walk back to the camp. As he was walking, he was thinking that his indignant friend was right by being surly with him, Gray's behaviour has nothing to do with his normal one, and that could caused a trauma to someone as sensitive as Natsu was. He always relied on his friends and he made it clear by demonstrating openly that he always fought for them, so that's why if any of his teammates despise him with no good reason, it hurts him deeply.

As he approached the camp, he decided to apologize to him, a person with a big kind and sensitive heart as Natsu's did not deserve to be treated like shit.

"Hey, Natsu... Can we talk? I owe you an apology"

"It's okay, Gray" he said without looking at him.

"Come on, don't be stubborn. Let me explain myself"

His two teammates and Happy watched them without understanding what had happened between both as the dragonslayer rose without a word and began to walk to get away from their sight.

"What happens now?" Lucy thought that they had had another of their typical childish fights and that one of them had crossed the line.

"They have been like that since they met for the first time" said Happy sadly.

"No" Erza corrected his words "They hated each other before, now they don't. Something has happened, Natsu has never been this angry with him only for one of his fights. Don't worry, they'll manage to sort it out between them"

Natsu sat on a rock in the river's shore and began to throw stones into the water while Gray sat down beside him.

"Hey... I'm sorry, okay?" He said embarrassed because he wasn't used to apologize, much less with Natsu.

"Ok, but I told you, nothing happens"

"Yes it does"

"What's it then?"

"You're still mad at me"

He stopped with the stones and looked at him with a serious face.

"I forgive you Gray... but I just wanna know one thing"

"Sure"

"Why?"

"I dunno... I swear .. I dunno. It's not just you, it's everything, I guess ... "

Natsu stared at him, expecting him to finish.

"Something weird happened with Loke and..." _"Why am I telling you this?"_ "eeeh it's... "

"Gray..." recovering his smile, Natsu put his hand on his thigh "If it's between you two... feel free to not tell me. I just want you to make me know if I ever pissed you off. I cannot bear it if my friends hate me"

"I don't hate you flame brain" he gave him a gentle smile and allowed his pink-haired friend to give him a brief but sincere hug.

"I know, frozen brain"

They both laughed and went back to the camp with another mood. His companions waited intrigued and aware that whenever they spoke things usually ended worse than it began, but this time they sighed relieved when they saw them appear smiling.

The afternoon was uneventful and all were focused on training hard to participate in the tournament organized every year by the Fairy Tail mages. At the end of the day they returned early to their bedrolls so they could be fresh in the morning before the tournament.

"AAAAH can't wait for it to start! I'll burn you all to ashes and I will be the strongest! hahahahaha" Natsu was just in the middle of one of his antics.

"Don't count your chickens this year... Laxus is going to participate in" Erza said laughing at her own words.

"...Hahaha. Wait, what!? ... Laxus!? b-but wasn't he... ? he was in...! "

"That's what the master told us before leaving... but as always, you never listen to a damn thing anyone says"

After a few minutes being a bit disappointed, Natsu filled himself again with determination.

"Laxus or not I'll kick its ass as well... I AM THE STRONGEST"

"Yeah, yeah... ok... go to sleep, one and only strongest one" Gray turned around covering his ears with his hands so he listen as less as possible to his annoyed friend..

The sun peeked over the horizon when Natsu woke the whole camp with the same energy he had when he went to sleep before. They breakfasted and set off early, walking with a brisk pace until they reached the guild three hours before the tournament began.

"WE ARE BAAAAAACK Neither of you, losers, will win this year!"

"We'll see that, noisy brat!"

"Laxus! Fight me!" he made a threatened pose from the lower floor.

"Reserve energies... You're just at a few hours from suffer the most embarrassing defeat of your life"

"Laxus will win this year!" Freed flattered his idol as always.

They continued threatening each other for a few minutes and Gray decided to move away from the verbal duel and sat down to drink a hot cup of coffee. Without realizing it, he stared at Natsu, that determination and impulsivity were equally prominent features in the personality of the dragonslayer. He seemed not to fear danger and he tempted death all the time without being aware that a misstep would lead him to it.

_"It wouldn't be Natsu if he wouldn't do that"_

He smiled at his crazy personality without notice that someone had sat down beside him.

"You're drooling. Do you want a bucket?"

He got startled and blushed at his words while he shouted him:

"Shut up you idiot! L-let me be! "

"Wow ... it'll be hard to achieve it y'know?"

"W-what ...?"

"To make him look at you the way you're looking at him now"

"Loke... get lost!"

He stood up and whispered in his ear something, making his stomach tingling:

"You drive me mad when you get angry" stealthily, he slid his hand to Gray's cock.

"OUT" He jumped up and threatened him whispering so no one could hear "What we did the other night isn't going to happen again... sorry but, it cannot… be…"

"It's a shame ... I've so much to teach you" He rose laughing and left the building.

Natsu caught the moment Gray had just had with Loke. He looked at them with serious face while they argued and he could distinguish their whole conversation._ "What happened that night?" _ His naïve innocent mind couldn't imagine what his friend had done with the mysterious blond wizard and he tried not to dwell upon it, but for some reason he couldn't forget their words and his body was reacting strangely to what he had heard with his sharp dragonslayer's senses.

Just two hours before the tournaments began, Makarov talk to Laxus about something concerning the return of his father.

"Laxus, Ivan had contacted me few weeks ago. He wants something he must not have under any circumstances. I cannot tell you what it's yet, but don't be surprised if he shows up at the harvest festival this year"

"Hmm" he said crossing his arms "Let him show up… he had any chance against us"

"Don't underestimate him… you know he always used tricky things to achieve what he wish"

"We'll be on alert then"

The old man nodded and sighed worried thinking about how could everything go.

After dinner everyone went to the highly expected tournament. Magnolia's residents were gathered at the stadium gates as every year, while the guild mages waited anxiously for it to start.

The vast majority of the crowd was seated and the old Makarov addressed them to introduce his tournament:

"Good evening citizens of Magnolia! Like every year, I'm proud to introduce you the opening event of the famous Fairy Tail's Harvest Festival! "

People cheered his words shouting their favorites mages names and the master continued:

"This year, two of our strongest class S mages will be in... Laxus Dreyar and Erza Scarlet!"

The audience cheered the two mages while they both fixed their glances.

"Without further preamble… Let the tournament begins!"

The audience roared and fell silent once again waiting for the names of the first fight.

"In the first fight we have... Huh?"

"Good evening citizens of Magnolia! I'm deeply sorry to importunate you but, this year I'm going to ask master Makarov to make a small change in his tournament. You will coincide with me in that is pretty boring, to see two mages of the same guild fighting against each other"

The old master was very surprised looking at his son while he stormed in his tournament. He was definitely hatching something bad, but the master knows that his mages were much better than his son's.

"So I have thought that... maybe this year the miiiiiiiighty mages of Fairy Tail want to fight against Raven Tail's ones... Unless you are afraid, of course. What do you think... master?" The last word was pronounced with an immense hatred that didn't passed unnoticed by anyone.

After thinking for a moment he looked at his mages one by one and decided to trust them the future of his guild.

"Okay, Ivan ... this year will be as you say... But I have to warn you that you will leave this city extremely humiliated… again"

Freed looked at Laxus to see his reaction, but found him serene and grinning.

"Don't you think it's a bad idea? But the way, what's he doing here?"

"Crushing my father... a bad idea, Freed? Since when. I dunno what the hell he's doing here, but he have guts, indeed"

The rune mage smiled and encouraged him as always by praising his great strength.

"He's a fool if he thinks he can beat you" He clenched his fists angrily looking at Ivan while Laxus watched him smiling.

Natsu as always was quite lost with what had happened.

"Hmm? What's going on?" He scratched his head trying to remember why the name of Ivan was being so familiar to him.

"What!? He's grandpas son" Gray said never getting used to his friend's forgetfulness.

"Hahaha I will burn him to ashes! Gramps! leave him to me!"

The two masters passed him by without even looking at him and went to a room to discuss the pairings.

After twenty minutes they finally came out with the first six rounds. After four fights, both guilds had the same amount of wins and loses, and now it was Gray's turn. His opponent was a big man who bragged about never having lost a fight.

"Hey Gray!" the dragonslayer grabbed his wrist before he left to the field "you better not lose"

Gray smiled and put his hand on his shoulder saying:

"If I lose I couldn't laugh at you anymore"

They grabbed their arms tightly in a friendly way and Gray leave to met his rival.

The master introduced the adversaries and announced the beginning of the fight.

"hahaha what kind of sick joke is this? ... you're just a fucking kid!"

"I'll show you how child I am, idiot! ... ICE MAKE... FLOOR!"

The man lost his balance and Gray took the opportunity to attack again.

"ICE MAKE... CANNON"

The huge guy cry out in pain as the ice impacted on his body but recovered quickly.

"Not bad for a brat like you… lemme show you my magic"

The man closed his eyes and in a matter of seconds a huge lion appeared at his side, roaring angrily with bloody eyes at Gray.

"What the… Where did that thing come from?" Natsu was shocked as much as the rest of the people who were looking at the wild animal.

"Do ya think a stupid cat could frighten me?... ICE MAKE… PRISON"

The lion dogged nimbly the spell and pounced on him with ferocity, but Gray could cast one of his Ice lances just when the animal was about to sank his claw into his skin. The beast went mad with pain and tried to make his last attack with more fury than before, but the ice mage cast his iced arrows at the clumsy animal, that felt on the ground and disappeared as quickly as he had appeared.

"Hmm, not bad indeed. I let you have your fun, now It's my turn. Let's finish this, brat!"

The man moved his hand in the air drawing a half-circle and in a blink, Gray was in the floor unconscious.

Everyone who was watching held their breaths, waiting anxiously to know what had happened.

Natsu ran to his friend's body and held him in his arms crying out his name, but his friend neither opened his eyes nor moved a muscle. He caressed his face and call his name once again, this time tenderly as tears of anger rolled down his face. In that moment he could heard the laughter of the big man mocking at his friend and his blood boiled with rage. He looked at him with a deadly glance and said menacingly:

"You'll pay for this... When I finish with you there will be nothing left but your ashes"


	3. Come back to me

Hi!

I would like to apologize again for any grammar or lexical mistake I'm sure I made. As I told you already, English is not my first language so I'll appreciate it if you show me any blunder you may find.

Thank's for reading my story! Hope you are liking it.

* * *

><p>For the first time in 10 years he felt cold, the flow of blood through his veins was getting freeze and his limbs numbing before he could do anything about it.<p>

_"Where am I?"_

Suddenly, among all that chill, a comforting voice whispered his name while his right hand regained its sensitivity thanks to a warm touch that could only belong to the owner of that voice.

_"Natsu!"_

He tried to talk to him and scream with all the rage within him, but words didn't form in his throat. He wanted to ask him not to leave his side, he wanted to make him know he was afraid and that he needed him to get him out of that frozen hell, but Natsu could not hear him and Gray fell back into unconsciousness again, into absolute darkness.

Two days had passed since the end of the tournament and since Gray was defeated that so unusual and suspicious way. The master of Fairy Tail, Makarov, by request of the ice mage's teammates decided to go on with the tournament. Natsu got his revenge gladly and the other mages were encouraged by the same rage and determination the dragonslayer radiated. With a wide difference Fairy Tail defeated Raven Tail, but the winners were not in the mood to celebrate it, they were downcast and worried because two days after the tournament, Gray had not yet awakened.

"No, Laxus ... I'll go alone, I know what he wants"

"Tsk ... always so stubborn, old man. Do what you want, but don't say I didn't warn you"

Makarov told his grandson to stand aside and decided to venture into Ivan's domains alone so he could demand him an explanation that could clarify the health status of the ice mage.

He left his office with a light step and without saying a word to any of his confused sons, who looked at him with questioning faces while he walked his way to the exit.

When he set one foot outside he stopped a few seconds and sighed, being aware that it was not a good idea to go alone, but he could not longer endanger anyone else for his mistake, at the end, it was he who fell into the so obvious trap Ivan had set him by thinking his son would not get away with it being resoundingly defeated.

Natsu went to the infirmary to check on his friend. He entered and sat in the chair beside the bed.

"Hey! I crushed the bastard. How could you get owned like that? I dunno what were you thinking... Waah! you said that if you lose you wouldn't laugh at me anymore, remember it? Hahaha"

He suddenly stopped his cheerful attitude and looked at him with sadness face and tears showing up "Gramps is trying to find out what's wrong in you" he stroked the biceps of his friend's right arm while few tears began rolling down his cheeks "You're fucking cold"

He tucked him in with a blanket, still watching his face "You better get well... or else I'll go wherever you go and I'll kick whoever ass to get you back here"

"Natsu" Erza appeared behind the dragonslayer without him noticing her presence and turned to look at his teammate "He'll be okay, the master is looking into it. You know better than any of us how tough he can be" He put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him as she smiled by thinking that although they pretended to hate each other, deep down they loved and respected.

"He's an idiot, shouldn't scare us like that!"

Natsu ran out and Erza stayed grinning in the room with his unconscious teammate.

"You know he loves you, but he's unable to admit it... The same goes with you, right?"

The tired master arrived to the coordinates his son provided him with when he asked him to meet there to agree a truce. He sighed and waited for someone to show up as he watched the strange base that supposedly belonged to the Raven Tail guild "Must be a temporary settlement so we couldn't know where they truly are" The building threatened to collapse at any moment, all the windows were destroyed, it lacked doors and just the skeleton of what once was could be distinguished clearly.

"Well, well, have you decided to talk at last? How could you fall so easily into my trap?"

"Don't believe you deceived me Ivan, I knew exactly what I was getting involved in when I accepted your childish proposal. You should think more your stupid plans"

"How is that boy?"

"Tell me what you've done to him and maybe I let you go unpunished" he said raising his voice and looking menacingly at him.

"You know what I want in exchange for the antidote. Just two more days to think about it "

"No, I have nothing to think about, I'll not give you what you want... whatever it takes" he went ahead with his decision, despite he was feeling really sorry for him, he held the firm determination never to give him the greatest secret of his guild "I will not be the one who leads Fairy Tail to its ruin, neither you!" he resumed his threatening pose and clenched his fists as anger fueled the magic power within him.

"TELL ME WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO GRAY"

"I call it "degenerative hibernation" , ain't it wonderful?"

"Degenerative Hibernation!?"

"Within two days all his limbs will be disabled and his mind will enter into an irreversible vegetative state. And all with just one brush! "

"You're sick Ivan! Why have you become so worthless? You even dare to experiment with your own boy's life! "

"Laxus is stronger thanks to me! That ungrateful has chosen you instead of his own father, but no matter what you do... I'll get it"

"You'll not get anything, you're doomed to failure. That's why we are in this situation, because someone as selfish as you could not be the strongest guild master of Fiore. You don't deserve to have control of such a power and you should stop trying it, because if you ever come up with one of your threats again or if something happens to Gray because your damn ambition... THE MIGHTY LIGHT OF FAIRY TAIL WILL FALL UPON YOU"

Ivan looked at him grinning and said "I was going to give you one last chance to redeem your boy's suffering... but I see it'll be all in vain, you're very determined to let him die... father"

Before he could blink, his son was out of sight without leaving a trace.

"Was he just an illusion!?" he clenched his fists again with an angry face on and swore to himself: "I swear I'll find you, Ivan... you've gone too far this time"

Long faces and discouragement still prevail over good mood in the guild, occasionally they threw glances at the door of the infirmary upstairs, waiting for someone to come out and give them good news, but Gray seemed to be getting worse with each passing minute. He had started to sweat profusely and his pulse was somewhat faster.

Natsu was outside, sitting on a rock and looking at the sea. He thought of all the fights the two had won, none had ever been defeated in a major confrontation and much less in such dramatic way. He began a tour through his childhood from the day he met Gray, that little boy with black hair that was always shirtless and challenged him whenever he dared to make a comment about him. Tears began to well up in his eyes as he remembered their innocent fights, and how Erza tried to separate them with his usual roughness, he also recalled with a smile some of the mischiefs that managed to push his gramps patience to the limits and above everything, he remembered how Gray had always been at his side in crucial moments of his life, helping and offering him his unconditional support. Since he had arrived to Fairy Tail, he had always been with the ice mage, for better or worse Gray was his first friend and now he was suffering as he watched helplessly, impotent to help him.

By mid afternoon the master entered the guild like a thunderbolt, very angry and upset he shouted for Freed and Levy to go to his office. The two mages, as soon as they heard their names, went upstairs trying to not make his master impatient.

"Ivan called it degenerative hibernation. According to this idiot, in two days all his limbs will be completely disabled and his mind will enter into a vegetative state... in best case scenario"

Both mages listened amazed and stunned his guild mate's prognosis.

"I'll go to see Porlyusica, but meanwhile try to find out more about this strange spell, he has confirmed to me that only a touch was enough"

They both nodded and swore his master to do whatever was in their power.

"I count on you ... we need to get him back"

Just at the time when the two mages were leaving the office to begin his task Natsu came in like a bullet.

"GRAMPS! He'll be okay... right?"

"Sit down, Natsu" he said, lowering his gaze. It was very hard for him to give this kind of news to someone like Natsu, always so cheerful and optimistic.

"DON'T SIT ME! WHAT HAPPENS TO GRAY!"

"I know how you feel! But there's no need to lose it, I'm doing everything in my power to get him back and I need you to calm down and let me concentrate! "

The dragonslayer remained silent clenching his fists and teeth, still waiting for the answer to his question.

"Gray is unconscious as you already know" he stopped a few seconds, unsure whether tell the truth or give him a more optimistic forecast, finally he decided to skip some things "His limbs are atrophying and ..."

"Atroph... WHAT? What the hell is that!? "

"E-eeeh... his limbs aren't working properly and if we don't wake him up in less than two days... maybe some parts won't be able to work well enough..."

Natsu was perplexed with wide eyes "Do you already know what's needed to awake him?"

"We're on it... Be patient Natsu, we'll save him"

"I'll go after that asshole and..."

"Natsu..."

"I'll find him and crush him till he..."

"Natsu!"

"What!... I wanna help gramps!" tears sprout again for the second time that day "I can't just stare at him and do nothing!"

"I know, son. But there's really nothing you can do "

Makarov knew it was being hard for him to not help when the life of one of his friends was on the line, and also knew that it was very likely that he won't be still as ordered, so he called Erza and asked her to watch him while he left immediately in search of the guild's doctor. Titania agreed and became the shadow of the young dragonslayer for a while.

Meanwhile, Freed and Levy were surrounded by books that might contain an answer to their problem, most of them were written in foreign languages that they hardly understand, many contained similar spells but not as cruel as Gray's and gradually the options were reducing until at the end of the day only a dozen remained unchecked.

Most mages left to their homes while Levy, Lucy, Mirajane, Laxus and Freed stayed in the building.

Mirajane was making hot tea with Lucy in silence until the blond mage realized that Natsu and Erza had disappeared without saying a word.

"Hey Mira... Where have Natsu and Erza gone?"

"Hmm, I dunno. They were here just a minute ago... Hey Laxus " she called his guildmate who was upstairs concentrated in his music.

"What" he said as grumpy as always.

"Did you know where Natsu and Erza have gone? Did they say anything to you? "

"The brat leaves a while ago and Erza… no idea" he put on again his magical headphones thus ending the conversation.

"Not very friendly, uh?"

"Laxus is Laxus..."

"I hope Natsu behave. He is very upset about Gray's"

"He would never put his friends in danger, so even if he has decided to do some madness, it'll be for Gray's sake" Mirajane's smile always managed to calm the nerves of anyone who sought her advice.

"Aaaaah... sooooo frustrating!" Levy put his hands to her head as she discarded another book. Freed was so immersed in the one resting on his hands that he did not even heard her, he finished reading a few lines with some difficulty and smiled a cry when he thought he had found the answer.

"Here it is!"

"At last... you're getting slow" Laxus's voice from upstairs was heard but ignored.

Everyone turned to look at the rune mage and awaited his explanation eagerly, but Freed kept the mystery for himself few more minutes, trying to fit all the pieces together so that it all makes sense.

The night was warm and the stars and the moon lit up the path the overwhelmed dragonslayer was walking through. Never before he had had someone close suffering that way and the experience was being pretty unpleasant, so he confessed to Happy that he wanted a moment alone and headed towards the forest. His hands were in his pockets and his head looked down as he walked with apathy, kicking a pine cone all the way to his destination. After nearly an hour he turned off the road and stood still on a bank of a huge river, watching the water flowing abundantly.

Erza recognized that place, it was where Gray and Natsu used to train in their childhood. They challenged each other to a race from the guild to that place, in where they fought until one of them won the game and returned triumphant with the other one following his footsteps sulking. This went on for nearly 8 years, but when they were 13, they began to train on his own, giving the impression that they hated each other, but everyone in the guild knew that was just a temporary teenage behavior in which they show affection towards the other one by challenged him whole the time. But moments like the one Erza was witnessing, confirmed that actually they really cared for each other.

The dragonslayer approached a large rock resting on the water and sat on it with his legs crossed, never leaving his glance from the river. His teammate understand that Natsu did not intend to make any nonsense and decided it was best to stop spying on him so he could have his private time alone.

Thoughtfully, she retraced her way to the guild, wishing all to be over once and for all and wondering why all had happened. What was so important that his master's son wanted to find so badly? Why was he willing to go that far? Why Gray? She also had reason to be downcast and sad. When she returned from that hell in which she was in her childhood, he was the one who approached her constantly and although it seems that he only wanted to bother her, actually he was trying out to fit her in with the guild members and to make her be less aggressive with them.

She finally reached the guild and when he entered she saw excited and happy faces all around the building.

"What's going on?" She asked anxiously looking for an answer.

"Freed has found how to wake him up!" Mirajane replied.

"As the master comes with Polyushka we can begin"

With better mood, they awaited eagerly the two elders' arrival, and as soon as they entered the door, they pushed Freed to tell them what he had discovered.

"Okay, okay... easy..." He cleared his throat and told them the supposed solution "Apparently it is an extremely rare virus, only found in some mammal animals in..." He scanned the faces of impatience and decided to skip the insignificant details "Just a scratch it's enough to infect the cardiovascular system, causing this "hibernation" state, which actually is a vegetative state that might lead to... erm ... brain de-dead" he stopped a few seconds but Laxus forced him to continue.

"Don't be an idiot Freed, tell them what to do"

"E-eh yeah ... It's pretty simple, I was very surprised. He just need a blood transfusion "

"What?! Do not talk nonsense boy, a blood transfusion doesn't eradicate a virus from a body!"

"Let him finish, woman" Laxus said in his usual unfriendly tone.

"Laxus..." He looked at Polyushka after ask his god to not be rude with a blush on his cheeks and explained them why his idea could work.

"Just a bite or a scratch is enough to make the virus travel through the blood and causing that state of "hibernation", which actually is a vegetative state that can lead to... erm ... brain d-dead" He stopped a few seconds but Laxus forced him to continue.

"C'mon Freed, tell them what to do"

"E-eh yeah... It's pretty simple, I'd to say that it surprised me. He just need a blood transfusion "

"What?! Do not talk nonsense boy, a blood transfusion doesn't eradicate a virus! "

"Let him finish, woman" Laxus said in his usual unfriendly tone.

"Laxus ..." Laxus looked sheepishly at his god telling not to be rude and explained them why his idea could work.

"It seems that this virus is quite unusual. As soon as he enters into the blood, automatically the immune system of the individual concentrates its forces in trying to kill it, but 98% of the time it manages to fool the defenses and travels through the blood like if it were just another normal cell, destroying everything in its path, but it can only do that just once and only with the defenses of the individual in whom he has entered, so if we transfuse him new blood, a new immune system will join the battle, recognizing the virus as something hostile and defeating the tiny amount of intruders without much trouble"

Freed scanned the "I'm-not-understanding-a-damn-thing" faces and decided to try to summarize it to explain it clearer: "Let's say that the foreign blood encourages the infected cells to fight the virus that has possessed them, convincing them that it is something evil that has to be defeated and expelled from the body"

The doctor looked at her feet thoughtful and apologized to him.

"Excuse me young man, I have never heard of any virus that could be healed this way"

"Yeah, It shocked me too"

"So... he just need a transfusion?" Makarov asked Freed to confirm that he understood what he had said.

"Exactly" said the rune mage.

"Well, let's not waste time then. We've to check who of us could give him its blood, not everyone can do it, you have to have the same group" the doctor went to the infirmary to organize what she needed.

While preparing everything the master realized the absence of Natsu and that Erza was not with him. He asked her why and she told him what her partner was doing right at the moment he came through the door. He noted the smiles of everyone and went like a thunderbolt upstairs.

"Did he awake?"

"No, but we know how to do it" said Erza smiling.

"At last" he said upset.

"At last!? They've done everything they could!"

"Leave him, Erza" Levy said "it's normal for him to be nervous, Gray is his best friend"

"That idiot ain't my friend! but no one has the right to kick his ass, just me!"

No one that remained in the building was compatible. Laxus stayed indifferent to the situation, isolated in his table and he was the only one that hadn't done the test yet. The master yelled at him, enlarging his head as he does every time he get mad at him, and his grandson said calmly:

"What do you want, old man?"

"MOVE YOUR ASS RIGHT HERE AND DO THE DAMN TEST!"

"I pass"

"Laxus you DON'T want to piss me off!"

"Tsk, can't you just leave me alone?"

"Why are you here if you don't wanna help him, you idiot?!"

"Freed ask me to stay, I think he's afraid to walk back home alone or maybe… he'll miss me, dunno" he said grinning.

"La-Laxus! Th-that's not true!" the exhausted rune mage dropped into a chair with flushed cheeks as his idol agreed unwillingly to pricking his finger.

"No fucking way... no one is gonna draw my blood to give it to that brat"

"Laxus don't..." Her grandfather wanted to convince him the hard way, but Natsu interrupted him.

"Goddamn selfish pig!" He leaped enraged on him, but Laxus nimbly dodged his attack "I would do it for him!" he shouted pointing at Freed and then, almost whispering he said "Please Laxus... is Gray"

The lightning dragonslayer stared at his hurted face for moment and realized what he was meaning, if something happened to his best friend, he would also wanted people to help him, so he sighed and agreed to donate his blood to the ice mage .

"Ok, let's do this… By the way Freed, You're dead"

Freed just smiled at him, knowing that he wasn't really threatening him and await like the rest for the results.

After half an hour the lightning dragonslayer left the room with the doctor, who told them that he hadn't yet regained consciousness, but his pulse had decreased and he had stopped sweating.

The night was almost halfway through and Gray hadn't awake yet. Tired faces and yawns were spreading between the mages, so they decided to rest knowing that nothing else could be done for Gray, just wait. Natsu was sleeping in the uncomfortable chair next to the ice mage, trying to relax his body of the stress suffered these past three days because of the unlike sensations that swirled through within him.

The cold was gone and all his limbs seemed to have miraculously revived.

_"What had happened?"_

He shifted in his bed and tried to stretch the muscles, but the sharp pain he felt cut short his intention to move so he decided to open his eyes instead. Slowly, as if some external force were making him to stop, his eyelids slowly parted revealing the clear white ceiling of the room in which he laid.

_"Where am I?"_

Suddenly he remembered everything, the tournament, his opponent, his fleeting defeat... His breathing was rapid and the anger going through his body awake his limbs from their slumber. He groaned in pain and took a lot of air trying to appease his mood. His vision was no longer blurred and he looked around the room trying to orient himself; he could distinguished the walls, the closets full of medical supplies and drugs and a figure sleeping in a chair next to him.

_"Why is the idiot here?"_

He watched him as he slept with that position that seemed so uncomfortable and smiled inadvertently by staring at how quiet and peaceful he looked.

_"It ain't easy to see him so relaxed, normally he's a bundle of nerves"_

He sat up in bed and felt how pain began to subside finding himself much better, then he looked back at him and instinctively brushed a strand of pink hair from his eyes, his finger caressed very slowly his cheek as he saw how he began to wake up lazily and he pulled away quickly pretending to be asleep.

Natsu gave a large and exaggerated yawn and stretched in his chair looking at his friend.

"Holy shit, Gray... Wake up already. Even your… hmm, how it was?... Ah, yes! cells!... Even your cells are slow and... Wha…?"

The dragonslayer closed his face to Gray's and carefully observe his friend because he seems to be suggesting a smile. Without warning, Gray sat up abruptly and Natsu stepped back in shock falling to the ground as he listened how Gray was laughing in bed.

"Hahaha, what a dumb"

"Dumb!? You're the only dumb here for giving me such a fright! "

"What were ya doing in that chair? Seems damn uncomfortable"

"It is!..." Natsu's expression darkened as he lowered his face "Gray..."

"Aren't you tired? you should rest, it's been a long day and... "

"Gray!"

"Hmm?"

"3 days had passed"

"What!?"

"You didn't woke up... you were so cold ... were more than usual I mean. It seemed that... " he stopped a few seconds and looked again at Gray, who could realize the sadness face his friend had "You scared me! Don't let anyone else to defeat ya like that!"

He rushed to embrace the shocked ice mage, who returned the hug shyly. He put his trembling hands on the dragonslayer's waist, letting his warmth surround him and feeling a sudden peace he had never felt before. He finally buried his face in his friend's chest, listening to his heart, pounding strong and fast, and letting time pass by.

They separated and stared at each other while Natsu lifted one hand to his face, rubbing it slowly. Gray closed his eyes, his pulse was racing fast as a strange intoxicating feeling was taking over his senses. He could not remember ever having felt so good, so he wished that moment would never cease, but the door being opened took him back to reality again. They separated slowly as if they depended on that contact for breath and broke the stare.

"Wow! Look who's finally awake!" Erza approached to the bed " How are you feeling?"

"As if a train run over me, otherwise... I think I'm whole"

The redhead looked the so unusual thinking expression Natsu was having and asked him:

"What about you, Natsu?

"huh? Good!" He did one of his cheerful poses and left the room with the excuse that he had to go to the bathroom.

Gray watched him as he left and unintentionally sighed as he closed the door.

"Gray, is everything alright?"

"Yup... it had to be a weird day, right? You'll have to bring me up to speed"

"Weird? yes a lot, and also intense and stressful, but what really matters is that you are well at last. We'll tell you everything when you get out of bed. Rest for now"'

By mid morning Gray decided to try to get out of bed with Lucy's help, who was the one who offered to bring him breakfast. The pain had almost disappeared, but he still had to be able to stand up without getting dizzy, so he grabbed her shoulder with one hand and put the other on the bed so he could stand up. He stayed still a moment, trying to keep his balance and told Lucy that she could let him try to walk by himself. He walked the few steps to the door and when he rely on it, it suddenly opened and a euphoric dragonslayer came in crashing against his head and making him lose his balance. He put his hand to his forehead and shouted:

"What the hell?! Do you ever think?!"

"Ouch, sorry... Good thing you've an icy hard head"

"Hard head?! and there's nothing but crap inside your head so that's what comes out of your mouth"

"Eeeeeeasy guys, don't start again" Lucy tried to mediate in their battle of verbal abuse.

"Tsk, you gonna help me or what?" The ice mage reluctantly asked for his help.

"Huh?"

"Hello there? I can't get up by myself..."

"Ah, yup!"

He stood up and grabbed his friends shoulders to put him up, then he grabbed his waist until Gray finished to keep his balance and said:

"Wanna give a walk?"

His smile was so sincere and sweet that it was almost impossible for anyone to say no to him when he looked at them that way, so he said yes.

"Okay but... slowly"

They walked surrounding the guild and sat down on a rock looking at the sea. Natsu was telling him everything that had happened in those three days while Gray listened perplexed to his story.

"I had not idea it had been that bad... wow. You should have told me before, I have to thank Freed for saving my life... And, well... Laxus too"

They kept silent for a while, the ice mage was trying to assimilate what had happened to him and Natsu just looked out thoughtfully to the sea.

"What is it, Natsu? You seem to be thinking about something, you must be having a hard time with it"

Natsu ignored his sarcasm and said with a sad expression:

"Well... these three days I couldn't stop thinking of Igneel and how much I suffered when he disappeared. Didn't want that to happen with you too... I've been afraid and... I never want to feel like this anymore"

"I have no intention of going anywhere"

The fire mage looked at him smiling and recovering his happiness he said:

"Thank you, Gray. If you did it I..."

The ice mage's heart raced once again when he heard the so tender tone in which his friend uttered the words escaping from his mouth and waited nervously for the rest of his sentence while his eyes were fixed on his.

"I couldn't kick your ass anymo..."

"WHAT!?" He got pretty disappointed and impulsively punched him on the shoulder "You're a goddamn idiot"

"But, what's up!? That has hurt! "

"Nothing! shut up already"


End file.
